Chapter 13 _{13 And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and formed it by the skill of his understanding, and fashioned it to the image of a man;14 Or made it like some vile beast, laying it over with vermilion, and with paint colouring it red, and covering every spot therein;15 And when he had made a convenient room for it, set it in a wall, and made it fast with iron:16 For he provided for it that it might not fall, knowing that it was unable to help itself; for it is an image, and hath need of help:17 Then maketh he prayer for his goods, for his wife and children, and is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life.18 For health he calleth upon that which is weak: for life prayeth to that which is dead; for aid humbly beseecheth that which hath least means to help: and for a good journey he asketh of that which cannot set a foot forward:19 And for gaining and getting, and for good success of his hands, asketh ability to do of him, that is most unable to do any thing.}

Chapter 14 _{1 Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.2 For verily desire of gain devised that, and the workman built it by his skill.3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;4 Shewing that thou canst save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art.5 Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.6 For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.7 For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.8 But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because, being corruptible, it was called god.9 For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.10 For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.11 Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: because in the creature of God they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.12 For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.13 For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.14 For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.15 For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.16 Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.17 Whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.18 Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.}